Chapter 49- Exhibition

  The good thing about the fight announcement being made while we were in the middle of the arena was that we didn’t need to rush around to get seats. They gave us quite the premium seats, given that it was a booth like the one VIPs get to enjoy. Actually, I was pretty sure it was one of those. We all sat in the booth with Mister Cyrano and Elesa, along with the seven others who received the invitation.

  That, unfortunately, meant that we had to support Roy's grumpy attitude, but the others were enjoyable enough. The hardest thing to do was to try and ignore Arnold, who was practically vibrating with excitement. Actually, that was a lie since the hardest thing was containing my own. I had to admit that the gimmicks that were introduced were always something I secretly enjoyed, even when people criticized the Z-moves activation. And I couldn’t wait to see what I assumed was the gimmick in question. I even refrained from looking up what it looked like.

  Terastallization Terastallization…. That sounds a lot like Terra, so does it boost ground type move? No, that would be too specific. It has to be something that at least a small group of Pokemon could use. Man, I really can’t wait.

  ”Arceus, please stop them! What is wrong with you two.” Sera complained next to me.

  I turned to look at what she was talking about, only to see her fixing Arnold and me with what seemed like an exasperated glare. I turned to him, puzzled, only to realize that we both stood up at some point to lean closer to the glass.

  “Ahem. You can’t blame us for being excited. I’m sure you did something similar when you saw Mega-evolution or Dynamax for the first time.” I coughed in my fist before answering, to Arnold's frantic nods.

  “No,” She deadpanned.

  “Come on, you have to understand! Imagine what possible combinations are possible. Each discovery shook the way battles were fought. And now there is a new one! How can you not be excited.” Arnold expanded while I nodded.

  Sera rolled her eyes. “Because you got no chance to experience it. If you had looked it up like I did you would see that it is only possible in Paldea and in a small area in Kanto. See?” she flipped her phone around much to our displeasure.

  “No!!” Comically enough, we had the same reaction of covering our eyes and turning away from the cursed device.

  “Arceus, please help me!” she complained once more.

  “Hohoho! That is quite alright, young men.” A new voice joined our conversation, and I peeked an eye open to see that Mister Cyrano was coming toward our little gathering. “The young lady is partially correct, however.”

  “Partially?” I ventured the question.

  “Yes partially. The Terastal phenomenon can be initiated everywhere. In Paldea and Kitakami, the area she spoke of, they occur naturally, however. As for trainers, they need to recharge the…key used to Terastalize a Pokemon between uses.”

  “Key? Like the keystone for Mega-Evolution?” Arnold perked up.

  “I shall keep that secret for when the battle begins. I’ll let you in on a little secret.” He lowered his tone conspiratorially and I found myself leaning closer. “We have found a way to replicate the Phenomenon in Blueberry so that you not only can Terastalize your Pokemon there, but you will also be able to recharge the key or even find Terastalized Pokemon”

  “What do you mean ‘find’” Sera questioned.

  “Oh my, it seems I have said too much. If you want to learn more, you will have to use that ticket of yours,” he said with a wink. “Also, it seems they are about ready to start.”

  I almost got a whiplash from how fast I turned my head back to the glass. Next to me, Arnold was in the same situation while I heard Sera sigh.

  Just as Mister Cyrano said, two young trainers were making their way out of the tunnel. Both tried to mask their nervousness, but their confidence couldn’t hide it all. They both wore blue pants and white shirts, which served as Blueberry uniforms.

  In all honesty, the match in itself was nothing spectacular. Sure, they were more skilled than us, using flashier moves, but compared to what Frank and the other in the advanced tournament showed us, it was nothing spectacular. That is until about halfway through the battle.

  As if reacting to an unknown signal, both of them pull out an orb that was previously strapped to their belt. The camera zoomed on each. Allowing everyone to see a black, barely translucent orb that looked a lot like a Pokeball. If the Pokeball was all black and had a hexagon where the usually red button would be.

  “This is the key to the phenomenon” Mister Cyrano clarified. “The Tera Orb”

  We all registered what he said but none turned around. Even Sera who acted aloof earlier now had her eyes doing back and forth between the screen and the field.

  It was a good thing we kept our eyes on it too. The inside of the Tera Orb started to glow increasingly brighter, revealing another hexagon at its center before the light became blinding. That wasn’t all either. Fine…particles of…something seemed to be attracted to the orb, rotating around it like it was a black hole. Winds picked up around the sphere held into both trainers’ hands, judging by how their clothes whipped around.

  Faster and faster, the glittering dust coalesced around the orbs until it reached a critical point. No more particles were attracted to the orbs, but the orb itself seemed almost transformed. The inner light was now stable. Stable and glowing. Then both of them tossed it toward their respective Pokemon. A Venusaur on one side and an Empoleon on the other.

  As soon as the orb connected with the Pokemon, crystals erupted from the ground where they stood in an instant, only to shatter a split second later. And what that scene revealed left my jaw hanging for a long while even after the battle resumed. Both Pokemon now had something of their head.

  The Empoleon now had something vaguely resembling a crown made of reflective crystals, but that wasn’t the craziest aspect. On top of the crown, there were three balloons that seemed to be attached to the scalp of the water Pokemon.

  Opposite it, the Venusaur now had a skull made of purple crystal affixed to its dorsal flower. It looked like someone had taken the drawings often used to depict poisonous substances, replicated them in a crystal, and dropped them on the grass type back.

  I wasn’t the only one who was struck dumb by the happenings on the field. Even the crowd was struck silent for a beat before exploding with excited cheers. And that was just the beginning.

  “Use Sludge Bomb” The Venusaur’s trainer shouted.

  I didn’t even have time to complain about using a poison type move against a Steel type when something else happened that drew my attention away from my question. Venusaur’s concentrated poison manifested faster than expected, and the crystal skull that rested on its back shattered, the small particles flowing straight into the attack. When the attack was finally launched, it was clear that the particle had somehow increased the power behind the attack.

  “Block it with Steel Wing then use Drill Peck!”

  The Empoleon, instead of taking the ineffective attack, had its flipper coated in steel type energy before bringing them in a cross in front of his chest. The impact that resulted from the clash lifted a cloud of dust and poison out of which the water type quickly slid out of. And to my surprise, it actually looked poisoned despite the fact that it should be immune to poison type moves.

  I still didn’t get the time to analyze that given that the water type ignored its condition as his beak started to glow with the soft blue of flying type energy. Once more, the crystalline sculpture that adorned its head shattered and merged with the glowing beak. I quickly looked away to see that the skull had reappeared on the Venusaur’s back at some point.

  Just what is going on… I couldn’t help but think to myself.

  Still, the Empoleon had started to spin on himself before he rocketed upward at full speed. I wondered for a second if he was about the pierce the heavens with his drill when he swooped back down and headed straight for the waiting Venusaur. A Venusaur, a Grass type Pokemon, that was openly waiting.

  My mind raced as I watched the collision happen in almost slow motion. At the last moment before impact, a vine shot out from the base of the flower, and just after impact, the Empoleon was slapped away. The Venusaur took damage, but it was far less than I would have expected. Granted, I was familiar with this particular Venusaur, or any for that matter, but I was expecting it to be the knockout hit. It was almost as if it wasn’t a super-effective hit…

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Wait! The Venusaur using a Poison type moves against a steel type. The steel type actually blocking instead of letting the attack wash over harmlessly. A grass type tanking a potentially boosted flying type attack as if it was a regular hit… and that Empoleon seems to have taken the grass type move even better than I expected… but there is no way that…

  “They changed type?” I heard Arnold ask almost breathlessly.

  I quickly turned my head toward Mister Cyrano but he simply laughed. “Almost. It changes their defensive types but that isn’t all there is to it…” He led on suggestively.

  Fine, I’ll bite. I thought before speaking. “It also boosts the moves from the same type,” I stated and the old man grinned wider.

  “What do you mean the same type.” I heard someone ask but with my focus on the battle I wasn’t sure who it was.

  “Poison,” I said pointing to the Venusaur, “And flying”, this time I indicated the Empoleon. “When they use moves of the corresponding type, they seem to receive a boost from whatever is that crystal. But it doesn’t work with other type. Right there! See?”

  As if on cue, Empoleon summoned a gigantic Whirlpool, but the crystal didn’t react. At the same time, Venusaur’s crystal shattered and merged with another Sludge Bomb that collided with the water type move.

  Claps rang out, breaking my focus on the fight. Mister Cyrano had a wide smile as he looked at Arnold and me. “Very good! I am surprised you picked on so quickly. Our theory is that these crystalline structures are made of pure, solidified Type Energy. The Tera-type not only changes the defensive type of the Pokemon but also gives a boost to attack of the same type like you just said.”

  “Doesn’t that just mean that they change type?” To my surprise it was Roy talking.

  “Not quite. Because it applies the boost in addition to what is already there.” Mister Cyrano explained.

  This time I didn’t understand where he was going, but it seemed the more experienced trainers in the room did as their eyes widened in surprise. After a couple of pokes, Frank finally reacted to me.

  “Can you explain?” I asked him.

  He nodded his head, but it was clear he was still in his thoughts. “That Venusaur is not only receiving the boost from the crystal or whatever but also the STAB” he muttered.

  That froze me as my eyes widened to match those of the other trainers. That had the potential to be…insane. The first thing I thought about alone was an example of what could happen. If, and that was a big IF, a Pokemon with Torrent, were to Terastalized into a water type assuming that it was possible, then used a Hydro Pump under the rain…

  “STAB?” Sera murmured to me.

  “Same Type Attack Bonus,” I answered back.

  Once again, the fact that she wasn’t focused on the battle showed. Not that I could blame her since I only knew it because it was common knowledge used in the games.

  “I have a question. Can all Pokemon Terastalize or is it specific to certain species only.” This time, Sera directed her question to Mister Cyrano.

  “Hmm, as far as we know, there is not a single species that isn’t able to Terastalize.”

  “That means that even our Pokemon have Tera-type? How do we know what they are? Do we have to Terastalize them or is there another way to find it?” I asked without even realizing it.

  Ideas were already zipping in my mind. Changing the type of a Pokemon had so many possibilities to change the way a battle was approached, especially since it seemed like your Tera-type could be one you don’t even have in the first place. Venusaur turning into a poison type would have been one thing, but the Empoleon going flying type indicated the opposite.

  Just imagining turning Tia’s quad weakness to ice into a resistance if she has a fire Tera-type would be insane. Or even better. Depending on how Levitate works... she could Terastalize into an electric type and have no weakness at all!

  Just thinking about that made me giddy. A tiny part of me also couldn’t help but be bitter about the fact that I missed what kind of shenanigans people would pull in the game using this mechanic in a turn-by-turn setting. This part was quickly squashed however by the excitement of seeing it in real time.

  “In Palea the easiest way is to just Terastalize your Pokemon find it given how common it is there and look at its Crown to find the Tera-type. However, there are indeed ways to find the Tera-type of a Pokemon without a Tera Orb but... I think we best leave for later since the match seems about to reach its conclusion.” Mister Cyrano said while straitening his suit.

  Just as he said, there seemed to be a lull in the battle, with both pokemon standing on their side of the field while panting heavily. It was clear to see that Empoleon was heavily poisoned if the purple splooshes over its body were anything to go by. The Venusaur opposite didn’t seem to fare much better. Not only was panting like crazy, but most of the area around it seemed to have been torn up by blades of wind. Both trainers also seemed to realize that the next exchange would be the final one as they called their next order simultaneously.

  ““Tera Blast!””

  Despite calling the same move, the results couldn’t have been more different. When the move was called, both ‘Crowns’ flared brighter than ever before, then proceeded to shatter. That however was the extent of the similarities. The screen split in two, each half focusing on one Pokemon, letting the spectators bathe in the atmosphere.

  After Empoleon's crown shattered, the particles started to circle between the flippers it brought forward while growing in intensity. Before long, it looked like the Pokemon was holding a veritable, glittering cyclone between its appendages. That could no longer be called a simple vortex of wind. Cyclone was the only way I could describe it.

  On the other half, the Venusaur which until seconds ago looked to be flagging, drew to its full height as the crown shattered and gathered in front of its mouth. At a quick glance, it looked like it was preparing another Sludge Bomb, but it quickly became apparent that this ‘Tera blast’ wouldn't be anything like a Sludge Bomb. If anything, it looked more like someone tried to compress a Sludge Wave, or tsunami really, if the amount of movement I could see under this maelstrom of energy was anything to go by.

  “What the fuck.” Someone breathed out, but I didn’t have the presence of mind to know who. It could have very well been me given that it was exactly what I was thinking right now.

  On an unseen signal, both Pokemon decided that they had stalled enough and let their attack scream through the air. The cyclone was no longer contained between flippers as it shot forward, pushing the Pokemon back. The tsunami was no longer compressed as it flooded everything in front of the Pokemon.

  The attacks met in the middle of the field, were a violent clash for dominance occurred. The battlefield seemed to be tinted in light blue and purple as the moves were locked into a struggle for power. Just when you thought the light would overwhelm the purple, a croak-like bellow resounded in the field and the purple fought back harder than ever, only for the stalemate to resume.

  But eventually, something had to give. Empoleon, despite its best efforts, was still poisoned. Combined with the relentless stubbornness of the Venusaur, it proved to not be enough. After both moves exploded and the dust settled, it didn’t take long for the penguin to fall on its back.

  The crystals that seemed to cover its body shattered into pieces that quickly dispersed into shimmering dust, disappearing as it went further from its unconscious body. When the referee announced the end of the battle, the same happened for the Venusaur, only instead of shattering, the crystals seemed to dissolve into thin air.

  The tired Pokemon flagged and lowered itself to the ground under the enraptured applause of the crowd. Back in the booth, the cheers were less overwhelming but no less excited.

  “That was crazy. To think that they are able to essentially change type for a limited duration. The number of ways this could be used is... something.” Arnold said next to me, seemingly lacking the words necessary.

  Only when I turned my head to him did I notice that he produced a notebook at some point and was furiously scribbling in it? At a cursory glance, he wasn't the only one since Frank and another for the advanced tournament were also writing in a notebook. Looking around the room also revealed that both Mister Cyrano and Elesa exited the room at some point.

  It wasn't a surprise when I saw the both of them make their way to the center on the field where both trainers were already waiting. It was much the same as we experienced earlier, congratulations and encouragement to continue on their path. The only difference was how excited they were when Mister Cyrano told them that they had earned additional points, whatever that meant, for their performance.

  Finally, after a few additional words from the Gym Leader and the Principal of Blueberry, the spectator’s stand started to empty themselves slowly. While I also wanted to go and meet back with Nana, Pops, and more importantly Mathew, I still wanted to hear the answer to my question from earlier. After Sera expressed her interest in the topic as well, I sent them a quick text to let them know we would meet them at the hotel.

  Thankfully it didn’t take long for Elesa to come back with Mister Cyrano in tow. After a few seconds of expectant silence where we all looked at him, Elesa finally cleared her throat.

  “I think they are waiting for your answer on how to know the Tera-type of a Pokemon.”

  With a start, Mister Cyrano hit his forehead. “Oh, that is right. As I was saying. In Paldea you would be able to Terastalize your Pokemon to find its Tera-type based on the Tera-crown. You may even find terastalized Pokemon in the wild if you are lucky. Here, however, if you manage to find a Tera orb, you wouldn’t be able to recharge it so using it to find the Tera-type is quite a waste.” he explained. “Once you use your invitation to Blueberry you will also be able to do the same. In the meantime, the best I can do is for you to send us the Pokemon you want to be tested and we will return it to you with the result. After all, I know that some of you wouldn’t be able to just stop by in the middle of the circuit.”

  That was most certainly said for the four of us in the beginner part of the tournament. All experienced trainers have at least one flier that could cut their travel time to a couple of months to get the eight badges.

  “Also don’t think too much about the Tera-type since unlike a normal type it is possible to change the Tera-type of a Pokemon. If you want to learn more than that, however, I invite you to make good use of those invitations,” he added with a wink.

  That threw me in for a loop. To be able to change the type of your Pokemon was something that would definitely have far-ranging consequences. In all honesty, it sounded like a fake thing even. It was basically breaking every rule I knew. Then again it seemed to be temporary. I just wonder what the cost is. Something like the strain of Mega-evolution maybe.

  “And how would we go about to get to blueberry?” Frank asked.

  Now that I thought about it, I had no idea where it was located. It isn’t really talked about that much either.

  “Oh! Apologies for that. You can just call the number on the card and we will arrange for someone to pick you up. It may take a couple of days to reach you, or less depending on where you are. The school is located south of Castelia. So, the closer to there you are the faster it will be.”

  “South of Castelia?” I asked. As far as I knew there was nothing there.

  “Yes. The academy isn’t on land. Just call the number when you want to visit.

  With that, he turned around and left without allowing us to ask more questions. I didn’t understand the need for all the mystery, but it certainly piqued my curiosity. Still to have the academy on an entire island was quite eccentric. I guess rich people in every world are a bit eccentric.

  Taking the exit of the gym leader as our cue we all left the booth before splitting up. Sera and I went to meet back with the others at the hotel while the rest of the group went to do whatever it was, they had planned.

  It didn’t take long to find our little group since they were once more in the back area of the hotel.

  “Welcome back dears. Did you enjoy the match?” Nana was the first to greet us.

  “Quite,” I answered eagerly. “We also got to ask Mister Cyrano a few questions. He answered some, but played mister mysterious for others, telling us to come for ourselves.”

  “You skipped over the part where you went full geek mode,” Sera added with a smirk.

  “Oh we/they know,” we said almost immediately.

  “Should have seen him when he saw his first Mega-Evolution.” Pops guffawed.

  After a meaningful glance a Jeanne, she was quick to cover his mouth. It didn’t matter that the payment would come from my starter. She was tough and could take it.

  After a bit more chit-chat, we all split. We were all various degrees of tired from the entire tournament. To make matters worse, I wasn’t even done. After the sun had fully set, there was a knock at my door.

  Opening it, I came face to face with Mathew. He didn’t know the specifics, just that I needed to borrow his Lilligant. And since we already got her accord, he handed me the containing the ancient Pokemon and marched off to his. I didn’t even the get chance to sit back down when another knock sounded.

  This time upon opening it, I was met with the blue eyes of Catlin. The Elite 4 member looked at me before nodding. “I take that you are ready?”

  I simply nodded and took the offered hand. I blinked and when I opened my eyes we were out on a deserted street. A small bag lazily floated in front of me and Caitlin spoke once more.

  “Since you weren’t sure you wanted things traced to you, I took the liberty of getting you a little something,” she said. For some reason though, the glimmer in her eyes told me that she was having fun.

  It was only when I opened the bag that I understood. Inside was a mask.

  A Zoroark mask to be precise.

  Thank you for reading! Please comment, review, or rate as it helps the story!

  Nexon’s team (Bold moves are the ones used often)

  Team Summary

  Nike [Hattrem]/ Premier Ball

  Ability: Magic Bounce

  Moves: Confusion, Play Nice, Mystical Fire, Disarming Voice, Psybeam, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse, Teleport, Protect, Brutal Swing, Misty Terrain, Psyshock.

  Item: Fairy Feather

  Skoll [Riolu]/Poke ball

  Ability: Steadfast

  Moves: Endure, Quick Attack, Feint, Metal Claw, Counter, Bullet Punch, Protect, Brick Break, Detect, Ice Punch, Work Up, Force Palm.

  Item: None

  Tiamat [Vibrava]/ Safari Ball

  Ability: Hyper Cutter

  Moves: Astonish, Sand Attack, Mud-Slap, Sand Tomb, Bulldoze, Dig, Crunch, Protect, Mud Shot, Rock Tomb, Earth Power, Dragon Breath.

  Item: Life Orb

  Tyr [Dewott]/ Dusk Ball.

  Ability: Torrent

  Moves: Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Pulse, Aqua Jet, Aerial Ace, Fury Cutter, Night Slash.

  Item: Mystic Water.